Smackdown Thread

New Day was out first. With signs! “Booty,” “Broken Wood is No Good,” “#SaveTheTables,” and “#GiveTablesAChance.” Rich Brennan, Jimmy Uso, and Jerry Lawler were shown at ringside. Before New Day could speak, we saw the Dudley Boyz defeating the New Day on Monday night. Xavier Woods was almost in tears when he said, “tables are a terrible thing to waste.” Kofi Kingston said we wouldn’t be where we are today without good, hardworking, American tables. The first Thanksgiving was at a table, the Declaration of Independence was written at a table, and Walter Cronkite announced the Moon Landing while sitting at a table. All three of them even signed their WWE contract at a table. Big E. implored fans to join a movement that is sweeping the nation: Save the Tables. Then they chanted “Save the tables” in the “New Day rocks” beat. The Dudleyz interrupted.

From the top of the stage, D-Von said there’s one moment involving tables that the New Day forgot to tell the people. Footage was cued up of Woods being put through a table on Raw two weeks ago. Bubba said history has a way of repeating itself, and they’ll beat New Day again. As they came to the ring, New Day left the ring with the table in bubble-wrap that had been in the ring. The Prime Time Players then came out.

Titus O’Neil told the Dudleyz they need to earn their keep, and the PTP has done just that. They also have a rematch for the tag team titles. Bubba asked the PTP if they knew who they were. The PTP entered the ring and Darren Young said they had a gift for the Dudleyz. It was a one-way trip back to Dudleyville

The Dudley Boyz defeat Prime Time Players after a 3D on Titus

As New Day made sure their table was safe by carrying it away, Kofi ran in and bopped Bubba in the head, then ran

New Day was in a good mood backstage, with Woods playing on his trombone. Renee Young asked them if they could carry their momentum into their match tonight. They had no idea they had a match – and the fact that it’s against Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose made them nearly drop their jaws. Woods played a sad note on his trombone

As Neville came to the ring, The Ascension attacked him from behind. Stardust feigned surprise at this attack while watching from the ring. The Ascension tossed Neville into the ring. Stardust took a mic and told Neville that, like Icarus, he is flying too close to the sun. Stardust introduced The Ascension as his cohorts. They hit an impressive-looking Fall of Man on Neville. “Welcome to the Cosmic Wasteland,” said Stardust.

(Looks like a new faction)

Cesaro talked about responding to his setback on Monday night, and he said he’d do that by competing against Sheamus tonight. Sheamus interrupted and said Cesaro will be good tonight, just not good enough. And while the WWE Universe loves him, Cesaro lets them down time and time again. Cesaro said Sheamus could learn a thing or two from watching him. And seeing Sheamus this close, he agrees with the WWE Universe: He looks stupid. Sheamus vowed that his match with Cesaro would be entertaining tonight

Sheamus defeats Cesaro, after being taken to Uppecut City there's just enough separation for Sheamus to hit a Brogue Kick for the win

Miz was in the ring for Miz TV. Miz said Monday was turned into Days of Our Lives. Sadly, we had to relive the Ziggler-Lana drama from Monday in video form. Miz first wanted to bring out “the real victim,” Summer Rae. Summer retold the story from Raw, about how Ziggler invited her into his locker room for what she thought would be an apology. But then she admitted she lied. Oh wow, it looks like she has a shiner under her left eye, too. Summer said she lied by omission, as on Raw, she didn’t say that Ziggler kissed her, which she claimed he did. The crowd chanted for Lana. Summer said it went from passion to guilt, because she has the greatest man in the world in Rusev, and Ziggler seduced her. She was crying at this point. Ziggler’s music interrupted, and he walked out with Lana.

Miz reminded everyone that this is a classy show and wanted everyone to conduct themselves as adults. Ziggler said Miz plays head games as poorly as he does “wrestler” and “movie star.” Ziggler said Lana is not buying this. Miz tried to ask her, but Summer interrupted. She said she and Ziggler have had an on-again off-again thing for a while. Ziggler said the only thing that will be between him and Summer is a restraining order. Summer said there’s something Lana needs to see. It was from June 2014, Summer making out with Ziggler in the ring while Fandango looked on helplessly. Ziggler tried to explain things to Lana off-mic. Summer kept insinuating a relationship, so Lana attacked her. Ziggler restrained her, but she pushed him away. “You can’t handle the truth, you bitch!” Summer shouted from the ring to Lana as Lana walked up the ramp and backstage

Bo Dallas defeats R-Truth with The Whiplash (basically its Rob Conway's old Ego Trip move: Last Rites while the opponent is draped over the ropes)

Bo attacked Truth after the match including hitting The Whiplash again. He was all smiles in his post-match lap around the ring

Renee Young was backstage with Team PCB. Charlotte put over the support of her teammates when talking about getting her shot at Nikki at Night of Champions. Paige said the focus of the Divas division has been on the Bellas for too long. Becky Lynch said when one of Team PCB succeeds, they all succeed. Charlotte said she won’t take Nikki lightly, and she’ll win with style grace, and a little bit of flair. The Bellas walked in, mockingly applauding Charlotte. Nikki talked about her Bella-Tron countdown and Charlotte said she petitioned The Authority to have their title match BEFORE Nikki breaks the record. Nikki was unhappy. Charlotte said if she wins, Nikki will lose the record AND the Divas Title. Team Bella reacted to that news as Team PCB walked away

(If there's any sort of justice, Charlotte will squash Nikki like the roach that she is)

Charlotte defeats Tamina with Natural Selection

Renee Young was backstage with Kevin Owens. She asked what was next for him. Owens said he beat Cesaro twice now, and after silencing the Cesaro Section, he’d like to silence another movement. And that would be people who make fun of him for the way he looks. He said his look has never stopped him before, and hasn’t yet. Owens told all those people to bring it on. And, in fact, “feed me more.”

(Ryback vs Owens? That's definitely better than another Show or Miz match, with any luck maybe Kevin will take the title & he can feud with Cesaro over the IC Title)

Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose defeats New Day, Roman catches Kofi with a Superman Punch in mid-air but Woods breaks up the pin causing a dq

Woods was planted by Ambrose and Reigns after the match. Ambrose got a mic. He said that felt good and he’s not done yet. He wanted another crack at the black sheep of the Wyatt Family. Reigns asked Miami if they wanted to see more. He told the Wyatts to bring their asses to the ring. The Wyatt logo flashed across the screen and they went backstage to where Luke Harper and Bray Wyatt were. Wyatt said he finds it amusing when puppets try to pull the strings. He said this is his game and he makes the moves. He said Reigns and Ambrose are outnumbered and vulnerable. He wanted to do this at Night of Champions. Wyatt said the apocalypse walks among them in the form of a black sheep. Strowman walked into the picture, said “run,” as the show ends

(On WWE.com it was announced it will be The Wyatts vs Reigns, Ambrose & a mystery partner at NOC)

Dr Jekyll/Corporate Kane was introduced by Eden Stiles, and he was already in the ring. He said this is the precise time to come back because WWE is on fire. Kane made Kevin Owens & Rusev vs. Ryback & Dolph Ziggler for tonight. Also, Luke Harper takes on Roman Reigns. Kane banned Dean Ambrose, Bray Wyatt, and Braun Strowman from ringside during the Harper vs. Reigns match. Before announcing something else, deemed only as “great,” the music of Seth Rollins interrupted and he came onto the stage.

Kane gave an enthusiastic intro for Rollins. Rollins wasn’t having any of it, saying Kane isn’t fooling anyone. He called out Kane for being the Mr Hyde/Big Red Machine Kane. Kane said when he became Director of Operations, he went through extensive training for conflict resolution. He invited Rollins to the ring for a productive dialogue. Of course, Rollins declined. Kane said he watched Night of Champions from his home on the WWE Network. He tried to plead ignorance about what happened to Rollins on Monday night. Kane got dark and asked who is standing before Rollins, a demon from the depths of hell…or a man in a suit, the man who helped Rollins become WWE champion?

Kane reminded Rollins that he did call him a “seven-foot piece of crap” at one time. Rollins said Kane is not fit to be Director of Operations. He also said Kane isn’t welcome around him or his WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Rollins told Kane he needs serious help. Kane said he’d take it under advisement. Before Rollins left, Kane noted Rollins interrupted him before he could announce the main event. It’s Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose

Roman Reigns defeats Luke Harper, Harper hits The Brodie Bomb for a near win before Roman kicks out & fires back hitting The Superman Punch & breaking Luke in half with a Spear for the win

New Day was walking backstage. They’re in action against the Lucha Dragons and Neville, next. More New Day as they came upon a production assistant. They set up the backboard to dunk on the guy, but he caught them before Big E. could complete it. Then Kofi came from the other side and dunked on the guy

New Day were in the ring out of break. Kofi Kingston asked the fans if they could feel the excitement. He plugged the WWE Network MSG special, vowing to put an end to the Dudley Boyz once and for all. They started a “save the tables” chant, which was interrupted by Neville’s entrance

The New Day defeat The Lucha Dragons & Neville, Kofi grabs Sin Cara's leg as Xavier hits a Running Knee to the face of Cara for the win

Cesaro defeats Bo Dallas with a Headscissors into a Hammerlock Small Package

Charlotte mentioned her dream scenario coming true at Night of Champions. She and Becky wanted to come out to thank the fans for believing in the Divas Revolution. She said the future has never been brighter…but then Paige’s music interrupted. She came out and said she’s never been a team player and she’s never apologized for being herself. She entered the ring and said she shouldn’t have dumped on Charlotte on Monday. Paige said she thought she’d be in the position that Charlotte is, and wondered if Charlotte is woman enough to hold the title. Paige said she started the Divas Revolution and deserves some recognition. Becky said Paige has been honest enough but Paige told her to shut up. Natalya then came out

She hugged Charlotte and Becky while Paige called her a “crazy cat lady.” Natalya said she’s proud of the Divas division, as it’s perhaps the best it’s ever been. She said she can’t remember the last time she felt excited to come to work. She said the last time she felt that way was when Paige debuted and won the title. She chastised Paige, saying Paige is better than that, better than feeling jealous over Charlotte. Paige said she is better than that, and in fact, better than Nattie. She said Natalya let the Revolution pass her by, hooking on to the younger Divas in an attempt to become relevant again. Paige slapped Natalya across the face, then left the ring

Ryback & Dolph Ziggler defeats Rusev & Kevin Owens, Owens takes the IC Title & leaves, Rusev grabs Dolph only to eat a Superkick followed by a Shellshock from Ryback for the win

The Dudleyz were walking backstage, ranting about New Day. They were approached by Renee Young. Bubba said he knows she’s a fan of New Day, but New Day act like they care about the WWE Universe and saving the tables, but the one thing they don’t act like is champions. He said they’d beat New Day in their own backyard and become 10-time WWE Tag Champs. D-Von said it’s not about tables, but about championships. The Prime Time Players interrupted. DY shook D-Von’s hand and wished them luck against New Day. Titus O’Neil said when they’re done with New Day, it’s Prime Time

JoJo was backstage with Seth Rollins. She asked Rollins about facing Ambrose tonight while being preoccupied with Kane. Rollins said Kane is a living, breathing demon. He said he doesn’t know what snapped inside Kane, but The Authority needs to talk about getting Kane some serious help. Rollins said he has faced Ambrose many times in his career, and just like all the other times, he’ll destroy Ambrose tonight

Dean Ambrose defeats Seth Rollins, Seth hits The Buckle Bomb when Kane's pyro goes off & the arena turns red, the distraction allows Ambrose to roll up Rollins for the win

Dr Jekyll/Corporate Kane was shown watching the proceedings on a monitor backstage. Rollins got a mic and yelled that if Kane wants to play mind games, he can do the same. “Do you know who I am? Do you know what I’m capable of?” shouted Rollins. Rollins asked Kane if he saw what he did to Sting at Night of Champions. Rollins told Kane he would suffer the same fate if he keeps getting in the way. He said that no matter what, he’s still the World Champion. Back to Kane watching on the monitor, who didn’t appear so jovial this time. The show ends with Seth holding the WWE Title

Jericho welcomed fans to “Thursday Night Jericho.” He said it was his return to Smackdown after 14 months. He also called the Royal Rumble “the biggest in the history of the WWE.” They say that each year, but because the title is on the line, one could argue it’s truer this year than in the past. Jericho told the monkeys in the truck to roll the clip of his Highlight Reel from Monday night, which included Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar.

Jericho said Roman may be the World Champion, and Lesnar may be the Beast Incarnate, but he is the savior of WWE and he’ll win the Rumble match. Big E’s voice and the New Day theme interrupted, and they came out. Big E. took issue with Jericho destroying their trombone. They said a documentary should be done on Jericho, “Making a Brass Murderer.” Xavier Woods said Jericho is cold-blooded. Isn’t that a good feature to have in wrestling? Woods asked for a moment of silence for Francesca. Jericho criticized their unicorn horns. He said they need better unicorn names. He said “Rudy” was a better name, then he went again to the “Rooty Tooty Booty” line and chanted it as the crowd sang along. New Day entered the ring and said he’d love to beat them up, but they already have a six-man match. The Usos came out to oppose them. They were joined by Dolph Ziggler, face-painted like the Usos

The Usos & Dolph Ziggler defeats The New Day, Jimmy takes out E & Kofi with a Tope Suicida, Dolph tags himself in then all 3 of the faces with a Triple Superkick on Xavier, Jimmy tagged back in & right after Ziggler & got the pin on Woods

Becky Lynch defeats Alicia Fox with the Dis-Arm-Her

Miz was in the ring for Miz TV. Miz talked about Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens facing off at the Royal Rumble in a Last Man Standing Match for the I.C. Title. Miz went over the rules of such a match. Before he could talk too long, however, Ambrose’s music interrupted and he walked to the ring. Ambrose said a LMS Match is serious business and someone can get hurt. Ambrose tried to give a soliloquy while Miz kept trying to interrupt and Ambrose kept ignoring him. Miz finally grabbed Ambrose’s attention and Ambrose threatened him. Miz said he’s tired of being disrespected, so he took his chair and sat in the corner, telling everyone to enjoy “Dean TV.”

Ambrose said a LMS Match is like a roller-coaster ride. He went to ringside and caressed the apron, saying Owens likes using that against his opponent, but not on Sunday. He moved over to the steel steps and said Owens reminds him of a fuzzy bear. He said the steps are like a bear trap. Then, the announce table. He called it “memory lane,” as Owens once powerbombed him through the announce table. He vowed to bring things full circle and put Owens through the table. Just like always, he said he’d be the last man standing. That was the cue for Owens to come out.

Owens said Ambrose’s words mean nothing to him. He talked about how he’s obsessed with the Intercontinental Title, and that obsession will keep Ambrose down on Sunday. He said he’ll be standing over Ambrose, once again as I.C. Champion. Ambrose was ready for a fight right then, and lo and behold, he got one: Miz blind-sided him from behind, putting a hurting on Ambrose. Owens slowly made his way to the ring. It looked like it’d be a two-on-one attack, but instead, Owens went after Miz and hit him with a Pop-Up Powerbomb. He was about to do the same to Ambrose, but Ambrose turned the tide. Owens escaped before Dirty Deeds. Ambrose had to settle with giving Miz Dirty Deeds. Ambrose counted to ten to signify what will happen Sunday

Bray Wyatt defeats Ryback, Ryback surprises Bray with a Superkick then a Big Splash, he goes for the Meathook Lariat when the rest of the Wyatt's cause a distraction leading to Bray winning with Sister Abigail

Titus O'Neil defeats Stardust, he picks Star off the top & hits the Clash of the Titus all in one smooth motion

Renee Young was standing by with Kalisto. She asked him if he was mentally prepared for one of the most pivotal moments of his career. Kalisto said in Mexico, Alberto Del Rio is on par with Mil Mascaras, Rey Mysterio, and Eddy Guerrero. They’re shoe-horning Rey and Eddy into every Kalisto promo, aren’t they? Kalisto talked about David vs. Goliath and said he’s already beaten Del Rio twice. Del Rio walked onto the scene and said Kalisto’s wins against him were flukes. The rest of the League of Nations appeared behind Kalisto. They bullied him around and held him so Sheamus could deliver the Brogue Kick. “Now let’s get Roman Reigns, yeah?” said Sheamus

Roman Reigns defeats The League of Nations, Reigns with multiple Lariats then a Flying Lariat, looking for the Superman Punch on Rusev when the other League members jump him causing a dq

Superkick by Rusev to Reigns. Before he could apply the Accolade, The Usos ran down to make the save. Reigns finally recovered and did some more damage himself. That is, until The Wyatt Family logo flashed across the screen and the Wyatts appeared surrounding the ring. Reigns did well for himself until Braun Strowman stepped up. Strowman powered Reigns over the top rope and to ringside. Boot from Luke Harper and a side-kick from Erick Rowan. Wyatt whispered something into Strowman’s ear. When Reigns was rolled back into the ring, Strowman downed Reigns with a Yokosuka Cutter. Wyatt demanded they pick Reigns up, so that he could finish Reigns off with Sister Abigail. The Wyatts pose over Roman as the show ends.

(Mauro Ranallo, this guy is good, get him on Raw ASAP. Reminds me of a hybrid of JR & Joey Styles)

Roman Reigns defeats Rusev, Rusev misses a Shoulder Block hitting the post, Roman outside with The Drive-By, back in the ring with the Never-Ending Story, Reigns sets up The Superman Punch when Barrett & Del Rio interfere causing a dq

Dean Ambrose came out to make the save, though when coming off the apron, he missed and accidentally clotheslined Reigns. Del Rio took out Ambrose with a superkick. In the ring, Rusev applied the Accolade while the other Nation members posed on the ropes. Reigns chased them off with a steel chair

Renee Young caught up with Ambrose backstage. He said hitting Reigns was an accident. He said things are going a million miles an hour in his head. He said when he goes after Roman, Roman will know it. Young asked if he’d go after Reigns in their tag match. Ambrose said later tonight, he and Reigns will be hitting other people

Kalisto defeats Kevin Owens, Owens was looking to Powerbomb Kalisto through the announce table but instead Powerbombs him into Ziggler who was doing commentary, then Superkicks Dolph, Kevin turns his attention to Ziggler allowing Kalisto to pin Owens with a flash pin

Owens attacked Kalisto immediately after the match, but ran off when Ziggler made the save

JoJo was joined by The Miz backstage. Miz said he didn’t interrupt Styles on Miz TV – he’s a pro and doesn’t interrupt anyone. This after he interrupted JoJo’s initial question. Miz again compared Styles to his former protégé, Daniel Bryan. Miz said it’ll take more than a Pele kick to keep him down

Ryback defeats Erick Rowan, Ryback sporting a new look, ditching the singlet for plain black trunk, looking even more like Goldberg now, Braun gets up on the apron so Ryback throws Rowan into him, Meathook Lariat followed by Shellshock for the win

Young cued up footage of Sasha Banks having issues with the other members of Team BAD on Monday night. Young asked Lynch why she helped Banks. Before she could give much of an answer, Banks showed up and said she doesn’t have friends and she certainly wouldn’t help Becky. Becky said she would, and that’s the difference between the two of them. They kept disagreeing about fending off Team BAD, and they seemed to agree to go it together

AJ Styles defeats the Miz, AJ with a Springboard Forearm then locks in The Calf Crusher (aka Calf Killer) for the submission win. (3 different matches, 3 different finishes, showing that Styles has a plethora of moves he can use to win)

Jericho took the mic after a few replays of the match. Jericho said he was impressed with Styles, which isn’t a surprise. He said everyone knows Styles is good…but is he “great”? Jericho asked if he had what it takes to become a WWE Champion, to be a guest on a JBL WWE Network special. Jericho wanted a rematch next week on Smackdown. Styles shook on it and this time he drew Jericho in. He told Jericho he’s phenomenal, and that Jericho would find it out again. The two didn’t take their eyes off each other until Jericho slowly left the ring

Backstage, JoJo was with Roman Reigns. She asked him about the earlier miscommunication between him and Ambrose. Reigns said he and Ambrose are never on the same page, as Ambrose is crazy. But Reigns said he digs that about Ambrose. He said on the road to Wrestlemania, accidents happen. Tonight, he and Ambrose would ride together, fight together, and win together

New Day cut a promo in the ring, bragging about being tag champions. Kofi Kingston said their gold separates them from the pack. Are those belts even really gold-colored? Big E. even quoted Ricky Bobby…well not really as he then started singing “New Day Rocks.” The Social Outcasts then came out. Heath Slater said Brother Bo is still layin’ tracks in the studio, so he wasn’t with them. Adam Rose even pointed out their titles were bronze, not gold. Rose said they’d take the championships from around their waists. New Day had a real problem with the Social Outcasts touching their waists. Curtis Axel made fun of the New Day’s horns. He struggled to pronounce the plural of “rhinoceros.” Slater said New Day is about to become extinct

New Day defeats Social Outcasts, Kofi rolls up Axel & uses the ropes for extra leverage for the win

Charlotte defeats Alicia Fox with The Figure 8

As Charlotte and Ric headed to the back, Fox freaked out in the ring, pulling her hair (extensions) out as Brie tried to calm her down

More hijinks with R-Truth and Goldust, from earlier in the day. Truth was at the hotel front desk and took issue with some charages to his room. Goldust, dressed as a bellhop, asked if Truth needed a partner. He said they can help one another out. Goldust then volunteered to help Truth take his stuff to his car. They argued over Truth’s bag and it ended up opening, with Truth’s stuff flying everywhere. Truth called Goldust “Mr. Weirdo,” and said he doesn’t need him as a partner

Roman Reigns & Dean Ambrose defeats The League of Nations, Ambrose goes for the Tope Suicida on Del Rio, but he moves & Dean hits Roman instead, but Reigns catches Ambrose, Roman wasn't happy with the error but he & Dean get back on the same page & take out The League with Roman pinning Rusev after a Spear

Reigns & Ambrose discuss things in the ring as the show ends

The show opened directly to MizTV. Maryse did her obsequious entrance for the Miz, who then welcomed the crowd to MizTV. He said his guest insists that he had nothing to do with his friends Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows attacking Roman Reigns, but they would find out the real answer. He then introduced AJ Styles, who made his entrance. At this point, the announce crew chimed in with the standard show opening salutations.

The Miz recalled the Bullet Club’s run through 2014 and 2015 in NJPW and how he was thick as thieves with Anderson and Gallows. Styles denied that he knew anything about the attack once again. Miz asked whether he ever told them not to attack Reigns, and Styles sort of muttered a no. Miz alleged that Styles inaction led to the attack and spoke louder than words about his intention.

Styles said he wasn’t their father and didn’t tell them what to do. He didn’t appreciate their attack and he doesn’t need anyone’s help to beat Roman Reigns, and he would prove it without a shadow of a doubt at Payback. Miz said this was a pretty good plan, but he needed Gallows and Anderson because while Styles was a better wrassler, he wasn’t big enough and strong enough to defeat Reigns by himself. Styles took umbridge, and Miz mimiced A Few Good Men by saying he could handle the truth and demanded Styles gave it to him. He then took a break to reflect on his awesomeness to make out with Maryse, and when he turned back to Styles he got an AJ strike combo, Miz checks to make sure his teeth are still intact this time

Dolph Ziggler made his ring entrance, and you’re not going to believe this, but Baron Corbin attacked him from behind. He tossed Ziggler into the barricades and the ring steps. He then hit End of Days out on the floor. Eventually, refs showed up to run Corbin off. He was asked on the ramp why he continues to attack Dolph Ziggler, and he replied “Because I can…” and walked away

Gallows and Anderson were interviewed backstage. They said Styles can take care of himself, and they were just there to make an impact. They said they would make their in ring debut at Monday’s Raw against the Uso’s. (The Bullet Club makes their in-ring debut on Raw, let the destruction begin)

Paige & Natalya defeats Team B.A.D., Paige hits Naomi with the Ram-Paige but Tamina makes the save, Nattie in & puts the Sharpshooter on Tamina while Paige applies the PTO on Naomi for a double tap out